August 1, 2024 4:39 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Mauricio Dubón hit a two-run homer, Framber Valdez struck out 10 in six innings and the Houston Astros came from behind to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4. Dubón came in to pinch hit in the sixth inning with the Astros trailing 4-3. He hit a 97 mph sinker from reliever Colin Holderman (3-2) off the signage above the left field seats to give Houston the lead. Valdez (10-5) gave up four runs on six hits in six innings for his fifth win in his last seven starts. Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 21st save. Joey Bart hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh.
August 1, 2024 4:41 am
VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — The U.S. men’s basketball team had an easier time with South Sudan in the rematch than it did when the teams first met a couple of weeks ago. Easier. Not easy. The U.S. clinched a trip to the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics by beating South Sudan 103-86 on Wednesday night — a game that wasn’t ever really in doubt but was no romp either. Bam Adebayo scored 18 points and Kevin Durant scored 14 for the Americans, who took control with a 25-4 run in the first half.
August 1, 2024 4:42 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The judge who presided over the class-action lawsuit filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers against the NFL said the jury did not follow his instructions in determining damages. U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez made the remark as he heard the NFL’s post-trial motion asking that Gutierrez rule for the league if he finds the plaintiffs did not prove their case. Gutierrez could also order a new trial because the eight-person jury came up with its own calculations for damages. The NFL has said it would appeal the verdict. That appeal would go to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then possibly the Supreme Court.
July 31, 2024 4:33 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Michael Taylor homered for the second straight game, Bailey Falter returned to the rotation and threw one-run ball into the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros 6-2. Taylor hit a 403-foot, two-run homer off Astros starter Hunter Brown (9-7) in the sixth inning. Taylor hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning on Monday night in the Pirates’ 5-3 victory. His fourth homer of the season also marked the first back-to-back homer games for the 33-year-old outfielder since August with Minnesota. Falter (5-7), making his first start since July 6 due to triceps tendonitis, allowed six hits and one run with three strikeouts and no walks in 5 1/3 innings.
July 31, 2024 4:42 am
PITTSBURGH — The Pirates made several moves to bolster their roster before the trade deadline on Tuesday. They landed infielder/outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa from Toronto by trading away minor league infielder/outfielder Charles McAdoo. Kiner-Falefa, who is related to Pirates Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, made his MLB debut in 2018 and has been utilized in a variety of positions, but most frequently is used as a shortstop. He’s the sixth player in Yankees’ history to make at least 85 starts in a season and appear defensively at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions. The Buc’s also acquired outfielder Bryan De La Cruz (pictured) from Miami by trading minor league right-handed pitcher Jun-Seok Shim and minor league infielder Garret Forrester. In other moves, they acquired left-handed pitcher Josh Walker from the New York Mets for minor league left-handed pitcher Nicolas Carreno. Walker made 10 appearances this season with the Mets, posting a 2.08 ERA in his first eight outings and sent Martín Pérez to the San Diego Padres for minor league left-handed pitcher Ronaldys Jimenez.
July 31, 2024 4:36 am
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Russell Wilson took part in his first live team rep as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback during training camp on Tuesday. “It’s good to be back out here again with the guys, putting the helmet on,” said Wilson, who did not take part in any full-squad drills over the first four days of camp because of a calf injury. That injury compelled coach Mike Tomlin to sit Wilson when practices started, and that persisted all throughout the four-day acclimation period to start camp before a day off Monday leading into Tuesday’s first full-contact practice of camp.
July 31, 2024 4:43 am
PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena. With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport and among the best in the history of the Olympics.
July 31, 2024 4:44 am
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have the government backing the team needs to build a long-sought-after ballpark. The Pinellas County Commissioners approved on Tuesday the west-central Florida county’s share of the funding for the 30,000-seat stadium. The deal will guarantee the team stays put for at least 30 years. The county voted 5-2 to approve spending about $312.5 million for its share of the ballpark costs from revenue generated by a bed tax. The St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $417.5 million for the stadium earlier this month. The $1.3 billion ballpark is part of a broader $6.5 billion redevelopment project that supporters say would transform an 86-acre tract in the city’s downtown.
July 30, 2024 4:36 pm
PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena. With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport and among the best in the history of the Olympics.
July 30, 2024 4:30 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Paul Skenes allowed one earned run over six innings in a no-decision and Michael A. Taylor hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth off Josh Hader that led the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Houston Astros 6-3. Skenes lowered his ERA from 1.93 to 1.90, giving up two runs, five hits and three walks with six strikeouts. His 103 strikeouts in his first 13 starts trail only Hideo Nomo (119), Kerry Wood (118), Herb Score (107), Jose DeLeon (106), while matching Masahiro Tanaka. Skenes’ streak of starts with seven or more ended at nine.
